Ruhmkorff coil.



PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

J. MGINTYRE. RUHMKORFF COIL. APPLICATION FILED DBG. a, 1904.`

W/TNESSES: v M@ feg ATTOR/VE PATENT i OFFICE.

JOHN MGINTYRE, OF JERSEY CITY` NEW JERSEY. n

RUHMKOR'FF COIL.

To 1f/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN MCINTYRE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Ruhmkor Coil, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to Ruhmkorff coils for use in electromagneticapparatus-such, for instance, as shown and described in the applicationfor Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 230,485, iiled by meOctober 29, 1904.

The object of the invention is-to provide a new and improved Ruhmkorifcoil arranged to allow continuous running of the apparatus withoutrequiring retruing of the contact platinum portions and insuring aproper readjustment and contact between the said contact platinumportions without danger of quickly burning their registering faces.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of rference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the same on the line3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improvement, and Fig.5 is a perspective view of the non-rotatable slidable bar carrying oneof the contact-plates.

On the base A of the apparatus is mounted the usual coil-cylinder B,carrying the primary and secondary wires, and the central core C,opposite the outer end of which is arranged the armature D on the freeend of a spring armature-lever D, Xed at its other end in a suitablepost E, carried by the base A. On the spring armature-lever D, betweenthe armature D and the iiXed end, is held a contact platinum portion D2,as indicatedin the drawings. The contact platinum portion D2 is oppositea similar contact platinum portion F', fixed on one end of a bar F ofsquare or other polygonal cross-section, or at least so constructedthatit cannot rotate, and itted to slide in a correspondingly-shapedbearing held on a post G, attached to the base A. A set-screw I-I,screwing in the post G against the bar F, Serves to lock the latter inplace after the de- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 8, 1904.. Serial No. 236,024.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

sired adjustment is made. To bring the contact platinum portion F inproper relation to the armature-spring contact platinum portion D2, aspring I, secured at one end to the base A, presses with its free endagainst the knob F2 on the outer end of the bar F, so that when thescrew H is loosened the spring I causes the bar F to slide toward thearmature-spring D to bring the contact portion F' in proper relation tothe contact portion D2. When this has been done, the set-screw H isscrewed upl to fasten the bar F in the adjusted position.

In order to hold the armature-spring D temporarily in a fixed positionwhile adjusting the bar F, a lever J is provided, fulcrumed on the faceof the coil-cylinder B and adapted to be swung in position between theface of the cylinder B and the inner face of the armature D' of thearmature-spring D, so as to prevent the said armature D from swingingtoward the core C, and while the armature D', and consequently thearmature-spring D, are held against a swinging motion in the directiondescribed the bar F is adjusted, as above described, to bring thecontact portion F in proper relation to the contact portion D2. Afi terthe bar F has been secured in place by screwing up the set-screw H thenthe operator swings the lever J into a normal inactive position, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3-that is, out of engagement with thearmature Dto allow the armature-spring to vibrate in the usual mannerwhen the apparatus is in use.

It is understood that the apparatus is provided with the usualbinding-posts and wire connections common to Ruhmkorif coils, andfurther description of the same is not deemed necessary. i

By the arrangement described the faces of the contact portions D2 and Falways remain in the same straightline position to each other-that is,the contact portion F is not rotated when an adjustment is to be made,so as to prevent the face from changing its position relative to theface of the contact portion D2.

In Ruhmkorff coils as heretofore constructed the contact platinumportion F was usually on the end of a screw screwing in a post, andhence the contact portion was rotated while moving toward and from theother contact portion on the armature-spring. During this rotation theminute projections on the faces of the contact portions F and D2,ycaused by the spark of the previous operation of the apparatus,override each other and tend to be broken off, and consequently the twofaces of the contact portions are injured and no longer true and cause abad contact and excessivelydestructive sparking, thus requiring afrequent truing of the contact-faces and readj ustment of the screw tokeep the apparatus running for any length of time. lVith the arrangementdescribed the opposite faces remain in the same relative position toeach other without danger of injuring the faces when making' thereadjustment, and as the operator might not possess the mechanicalability to retrue the platinum faces the benefit of' the improvement maybe more evident, and thus the apparatus can run as long and as well asin the first operation-say for forty-eight hours whereas the contactingfaces after rotating and readjustment would not operate 'more than, say,six hours without a readjustment of the bar F, carrying the contactportion F. By the arrangement described the usual compulsory retruing ofthe contacting faces and consequent waste of these expensive platinumportions are entirely avoided.

It is understood that for electromagnetic apparatus such as referred to,in which a Ruhmkorff coil is an important element, it is desirable touninterruptedly have the Ruhmkorff coil in action with the leastnecessity for readjustment, so as to produce the best results on theobject under treatment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A Ruhmkorff coil provided with a springarmature-lever carrying a contact portion, a bar arranged at an angle tothe said armaturele'ver and carrying a contact portion for engagement bythe said armature contact portion, and a bearing for the said bar toslide in and for holding the bar against turning to maintain the facesof' the said contact portions at all times in the same straight-lineregistering position.

2. A Ruhmkorfl' coil provided with a spring armature-lever carrying acontact portion, a bar arranged at an angle to the said armatureleverand carrying a contact portion for engagement by the said armaturecontact portion, a bearing for the said bar to slide in and for holdingthe bar against turning to maintain the faces of the said contactportions at all times in the same straight-line registering position,and afastening device for securing the bar in place in the said bearingafter the dcsired adjustment is made.

3. A Ruhmkorff coil provided with a spring armature-lever carrying acontact portion, a bar carryinga contact portion for engagement by thesaid armature contact portion, a bearing for the said bar to slide inand for holding the bar against turning, and aspring pressing againstthe bar at the end opposite the one carrying the contact portion.

4. A Ruhmkorff coil comprising a coil-cylinder carrying the primary Aandsecondary wires and the core, a spring;armature-lever fixed at one endand carrying at its free end an armature located opposite the said core,a contact portion on the said armature-lever, intermediate the fixed endand the said armature, a bar slidable at an angle toward and from thesaid armature-lever and carrying a contact portion opposite the saidarmaturelever contact portion, and means for the bar to slide in and tohold it against rotation to maintain the faces of the said contactportions at all times in the same straight-line registering position.

5. A Ruhmkorff coil comprising a coil-cylinder carrying the primary andsecondary wires and the core, a spring armature-lever fixed at one endand carrying at its free end an armature located opposite the said core,a contact portion on the said armature-lever, intermediate the fixed endand the said armature, a bar slidable at an angle toward and from thesaid armature-lever and carrying a contact portion opposite the saidarmaturelever contact portion, means for the bar to slide in and to holdit against rotation to maintain the faces of the said contact portionsat all times in the same straight-line registering position, and meansfor holding the said armature and armature-lever in position whileadjusting the said bar in the direction of its length.

6. A Ruhmkorff' coil comprising a coil-cylinder carrying the primary andsecondary wires and the core, a spring armature-lever fixed at one endand carrying at its free end an armature located opposite the said core,a contact portion on the said armature-lever, intermediate the fixed endand the said armature, a slidable bar carrying a contact portionopposite the said armature-lever contact portion, means for the bar toslide in and to hold it against rotation, a spring pressing the said barin the direction of' its length, and retaining means engaging the saidarmature and armature-lever for holding the armaturelever in positionwhile adjusting the bar.

7. A Ruhmlrorff coil comprising a coil-cylinder carrying the primary andsecondary wires and the core, a spring armature-lever fixed at one endand carrying at its free end an armature located opposite the said core,a contact portion on the said armature-lever, intermediate the fixed endand the said armature, a slidable bar carrying a contact portionopposite the said armature-lever contact portion, means for the bar toslide in and to hold it against rotation, a spring pressing the said barin the direction of its length, and retaining means engaging' the saidarmature and armature-lever, for holding the armature-lever in positionwhile adjusting the bar, the said retaining means consisting of a leverfulcrumed in the end of the coil-cylinder and adapted to be swung intoposition between the said cylinder and the inner face of the and fromthe said armature-lever Contact porarmature and armature-lever. tion.

8. A Ruhmkorf coil having an armaturelIn testimony Whereoflhave signedmy name lever Contact portion and a Contact portion to thisspecification in the presence of two subopposite the said armature-leverContact porscribing Witnesses.

tion, and non-rotatable, tO maintain the faces of the said contactportions at all times in the same straight-line registering position,Witnesses:

the said'non-rotatable Contact portion being THEO. G. HOSTER,

adapted to be moved at a right angle toward EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL.

JOHN MOINTYRE.

